I think I might be bad at blogging. No, I take that back...I'm ok at blogging, just not good at actually updating my blog regularly. This forum is a place for me to record and share my creative process and well... sometimes my creative process just stops. Or, I'm so busy creating that I forget to document my creative process altogether.
My last semester was rough...and exciting...and inspirational...and fun...and a lot of work. And just like all the others, at the end of it I go into a zombie mode of sleeping, cleaning, and refusing to analyze anything aesthetically for at least four weeks. I'm usually jolted out of that haze when I realize I only have two months left to do something creative (that I won't be graded on!) before the next semester starts.
I've found that the best way to jump start my motivation is to spend four days in southern Missouri, sitting in a river, and drinking beer. Even though I'm not actually drawing, I'm thinking about drawing the scenery around me. I look down the river to where it bends out of sight and can hear the charcoal creating this line on the page. I watch the way the sun is filtered through the leaves on the massive trees surrounding the river bank. There's a dog barking far off in the distance. The cool water on my feet is welcome relief from the heavy air pressing down around me. I wonder if I could capture not only the sights, but all of the other senses around me in a drawing.
I love being in nature and that's one of the many reasons that I love living in the country. Recently, one of my close friends moved to the country so I decided to visit her and her family. What started as a one night stay got extended after drinking copious amounts of wine (I'm easily persuaded when you know my weaknesses!).
My visit included all of the best things about summer country living, including catching minnows in Muddy Creek, watching movies in a cool basement, sitting outside supervising the Slip N Slide, trying to pick out constellations in the night sky, grilling, late night girl talk, and nursing an injured dog back to health.
Muddy Creek lives up to its name!
After both of my little vacations, I'm feeling refreshed and energized to be creative again. So, hello again world. Hello Lexie.
Louie's recovering from herniated discs. Poor lil guy.